ABSTRACT The San Diego IRACDA Program is a successful postdoctoral and career development training program that provides rigorous training to a diverse group of scholars that go on to pursue an independent research and teaching career at academic institutions. The San Diego IRACDA Program combines a mentored research- intensive experience at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and mentored teaching training experience at San Diego City College and San Diego State University (SDSU), two large minority serving institutions in the San Diego area. The specific objectives and goals of our program are: 1) to recruit and enhance the training of a diverse group of scholars in research, teaching and other critical academic skills and thereby facilitate their transition to independent research and teaching careers in academia, 2) to enhance the science curriculum and teaching at San Diego City College and SDSU based on scientific teaching principles that will inform and educate a diverse group of students, 3) to increase the number of underrepresented students from San Diego City College and SDSU participating in research at UCSD and/or entering competitive graduate programs in biomedical science, and 4) to promote interactions between UCSD faculty and faculty at San Diego City College and SDSU that will lead to productive collaborations in research and science education. Program evaluation has demonstrated that San Diego IRACDA fellows publish, obtain academic positions and receive post-fellowship independent grant awards at a greater rate compared to T32 supported postdoctoral fellows at UCSD. The San Diego IRACDA Program has benefitted San Diego City College and SDSU by providing new and improved teaching experiences based on scientific teaching principles, new research experiences and critical mentoring for underrepresented students that enhanced the training of the next generation of scientists from minority serving institutions.